Accessibility Arrangements - The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance

Accessibility Arrangements - The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance

Updated: March 12, 2020 

The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance attributes the utmost importance to accessibility and has invested extensively in the accessibility of the JAMD building and the JAMD website for its students, employees and guests, viewing all as equally entitled to full accessibility.

The accessibility accommodations were carried out in accordance with the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law and with the recommendations of the Israeli standard (IS 5568) at the AA level.  

Building Accessibility Arrangements

  • Academy building accessibility: JAMD provides accessible designated parking spaces for persons with a disability and for persons with a  ​disabled parking permit for both a regular and high vehicle, with a joint passageway. The parking spaces are marked in blue and have designated parking signs. The parking spaces are perpendicular to the sidewalk, providing convenient access to the entrance to elevators, which are in compliance with the Standard.
  • Access routes: JAMD provides wide ramps which enable access to persons using wheelchairs, both at the entrance to the building and within the building. The building has handrails in compliance with the standard along the staircases, and are grippable along the entire staircase. Warning strips were installed at the bottom of stairs with a visual contrast and warning surfaces were installed at the top of stairs. Ramps leading to the stage were installed in halls 221 an 301. In addition, warning labels were affixed on partitions and transparent walls.
  • Elevators: elevators at the JAMD are accessible for disabled persons. There is a clearly audible public address system and braille on the elevator buttons, in addition to the elevator dimensions which are in compliance with the standard as required by law.   
  • Practice rooms and offices: designated practice rooms were adapted to accommodate persons with a disability who use wheelchairs. The practice rooms are located on the 6th floor, rooms 614 and 608. In addition, office doorways of the main JAMD service providers were widened: bookkeeping, rooms 414-415; President and Director General office, room 516; Vice President for Academic Affairs office, room 510; and the library doorway on the 6th floor.
  • Meeting room:  the room is adapted to accommodate persons with a disability, including an assistive listening system with several receivers.
  • Cafeteria: a counter on the service recipient side enables access to persons using a wheelchair, in addition to furnishings at a suitable height.  
  • Photocopiers: photocopiers are located at the entrance to the library and in the computer room, with access to the operating buttons from the front such that they can be used by persons using a wheelchair or persons of short stature. The operating instructions are provided in simple language, with auditory information as needed. There is also a proper function area in front of the photocopiers.
  • Bathrooms: there are accessible bathrooms in the old wing on the 3rd floor and in the new wing on floors 0 and 1, with all the required fixtures: toilet paper dispenser, liquid soap dispenser, garbage bin and a coat hook at a height of 140 cm, as well as proper signage.
  • Auditory guidance: an auditory guidance system for blind persons was installed at the JAMD: the system operates on a unique application on a mobile device, free of charge for the user. Each detector broadcasts about 8 different messages to the application according to the direction in which the blind person holds the mobile device, guiding the individual how to proceed and reach their destination in and outside the building. The 8 location points are: entrance from the ramp and from the street, entrance plaza, main lobby, 3rd floor, entrance area from the parking garage, 2nd floor at the exit from the elevator, before the passage ramp to the new building, and in the hallway to the elevator of the new building.
  • Water coolers: the JAMD has water coolers which are also accessible to persons using a wheelchair.
  • Signage: a signage system for persons with a disability were installed in every building: signage directing to staff help, sitting areas, ramps and to bathrooms for disabled persons, as well as signs indicating the floor number.

Accessible Service

  • Service call Center accessibility: the service call center is accessible for persons with a disability, does not have background music and is slow-paced and in clear language. The switchboard number is 02-675-9911 and our website address is: http://www.jamd.ac.il. 
  • Assistive listening system: an induction loop type assistive listening system was installed throughout the JAMD. There is also a mobile audio system for the classrooms and an infrared system for hall 221, the meeting room[Esz2]  and hall 231. An assistive system was installed at the reception desk, in the cafeteria and in the library. A hearing aid with a T-switch can be used.
  • Employee training for the provision of service to persons with a disability: the JAMD’s main service providers received training, including tools and skills needed to provide accessible service to persons with a disability.
  • Alternative means of contact: all JAMD service providers can be contacted by email. The main email addresses are detailed on the following page: https://www.jamd.ac.il/staff.

Website Accessibility

The JAMD website is Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA compliant, and is assessed according to Standard 5568-1. Measures taken to make the website accessible include:   

  • HTML adaptations in accordance with Standard 5568-1, and for screen readers with the help of FatFish company.
  • Accessibility of all files uploaded to the website since October 2015, in accordance with Standard 5568-2, with the help of the Access Israel association.
  • Subtitles added to videos on the JAMD YouTube website; some of the videos are found on the JAMD website.
  • A navigation keyboard in all parts of the website. 

If you find a component on the website that is not accessible to you please contact the website manager at yuval@jamd.ac.il, or at telephone: 02-6759967, and we will make sure to rectify this expeditiously.

Website Operation and Accessibility Aids

An accessibility add-on is installed on the website with the following components:

  • Buttons to enlarge/reduce text size
  • Highlight links
  • Darken the background
  • Change contrast
  • Use magnifying glass tool
  • Change color

Inquiries and Recommendations for Improved Accessibility

We will be glad to address information accessibility requests and/or suggestions to improve accessibility at the JAMD. You are invited to contact the JAMD Accessibility Coordinator.

Accessibility Coordinator Contact Details: